This invention pertains to a separator unit capable of substantially separating a mixture of insoluble or immiscible fluids including less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids into a less-dense component, a denser component and the less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids. Also, this invention pertains to integrating a separator unit into a system that involves a mixture of insoluble or immiscible fluids to substantially separate the fluid mixture into its components as well as the less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids. The separator unit may be used in a commercial food preparation operation to substantially separate a grease/water mixture containing, for example, plastic and/or paper fragments. A gray water component of the grease/water mixture may be directly disposed into a sewer line. A plastic and/or paper fragments component of the grease/water mixture also may be removed from a surface of a grease component to minimize and optimally prevent equipment fouling, then be stored and subsequently appropriately disposed. The grease component of the grease/water mixture then may be removed, stored and subsequently appropriately disposed.
Grease/water mixtures disposed directly into sewer lines burden municipal sewage systems since the grease builds up in sewer lines and on equipment in sewage treatment plants. To offset maintenance costs resulting from direct grease discharges into municipal sewers, municipal authorities surcharge commercial food preparation operations that directly discharge grease/water mixtures. Commercial operations take steps to alleviate such sewage surcharges by including a separator unit in the sewer line to divert the grease to other acceptable facilities for eventual appropriate disposal.
The art is replete with examples of devices for separating insoluble or immiscible fluid mixtures into their components. Although such devices may be effective in separating insoluble or immiscible fluid mixtures into their components, they lack serviceability.
A particularly popular and effective separator has been the Big Dipper(copyright) separator sold by Thermaco, Inc. of Asheboro, N.C., U.S.A. It uses a rotating oleophilic wheel to pull grease from the top of a body of effluent to be scraped off by a blade. However, it has been found that fine solids in the grease can foul the contact between the blade and the wheel, making separation inefficient.
Applicants believe that none of the above separators operate satisfactorily when an insoluble or immiscible fluid mixture includes less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids. A particularly irksome problem includes the fouling of down stream equipment including lines and other fluid transmission hardware such as, for example, any down stream valves, pumps, flow controllers, flow meters, pressure regulators, fluid composition sensors and the like.
There is a need to provide a separator unit for insoluble or immiscible fluid mixtures including less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids that overcome the above problems with the prior art. More specifically, there is a need to provide a separator unit that at least minimizes and, preferably, eliminates fouling resulting from the interaction of the less-dense component and less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids.
The present invention satisfies the need for a separator unit that segregates an insoluble or immiscible fluid mixture including less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids into less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids, a less-dense component, and a denser component. The separator unit of the present invention includes a vessel containing a separation or segregation volume. The separator unit includes a ceiling or sloped surface(s) situated above the separation or segregation volume. The vessel of the separator unit typically includes an inlet end and an outlet end connected by a bottom and sidewalls. At each of the inlet and outlet ends, baffles may create inlet and outlet channels as well as defining the separating or segregation volume. The upper portion of the separation or segregating volume is bounded by the ceiling or sloped surface(s) between the baffles and sidewalls of the vessel. The ceiling or sloped surface(s) guide components of the immiscible or insoluble fluid mixture having a lower specific gravity or density toward at least one access line. The less-dense solids and/or buoyant solids that have a lower specific gravity or density are removed from the region proximate to the access line after a sufficient quantity has accumulated. Then, the less-dense component that has a lower specific gravity or density is removed from the region proximate to the access line after a sufficient quantity has accumulated. The simplicity of the separator unit adds to its serviceability. The apparatus according to the invention may relieve and even eliminate the fouling of down stream elements through the use of a flushing cycle in one instance, alternative access lines in another instance, or alternative access lines and flushing. That is, inclusion of hardware that permits flushing of the access line and other down stream equipment permits for the frequent and unencumbered service of the separator unit without the need for special tools or inordinate amounts of downtime.